Who will serve?

Recently at a zone conference for the missionaries our Mission President told about a conversation he had with Elder Porter when he visited this mission a month ago.  He said Elder Porter talked about being with Pres. Henry B Eyring when he looked and saw 450 Senior Couple Missionaries were needed right then.  But he only saw 87 Couples signed up and prepared to serve.  Elder Porter said, “President Eyring wept.”

We can honestly say this mission isn’t what we expected. It is much more “member support”  than proselyting .  It is taking the less actives list and contacting and loving each one on the list as Christ would.  For instance, last week we heard that a less active woman in our ward had just come home from having surgery.  That sets all kinds of bells off in Sister Pack’s head so she made dinner for the family and we took it over.  The woman was lying in her bed and when Sister Pack went over to the bed and touched her an amazing thing happened.   Sis. Pack felt love flow through her to the woman and had words of love and encouragement put into her mouth and heart for this woman.  It was a wonderful experience but the most amazing part was still to come.  A few days later we went back to visit with this woman and she said “you remember when you came into my room and came over and touched me?  I don’t usually like people to be close to me or touch me.  But when you touched me I actually felt something in the touch.  I felt loved and I thought that this lady is a very loving person and I immediately liked you.”  I told this woman that I had felt something too and it was the Lord sending her His love through me and the Spirit had been in the room with us.

This mission is teaching the people simple concepts that they simply haven’t heard about before and didn’t know they could do.  For instance this week an older sister in the branch had heard that we are working on family names to take to the Temple.  She said she had many names, including her parents that she wanted to have sealed together.  But she said she didn’t know how to do anything on a computer and she needed help.  I explained that all she has to do is fill out the family group sheet as best she can, come with me to the Family History Center and hand it to a worker there.  They will put it in the computer and give her the cards needed to do the work for her family. Tears came to her eyes when she said, ”what will we do when you have to leave us?”  Who will help them then?

And that is my question to you.  Will someone else be coming  here to continue to train, support  and help these good people?  Can you plan on serving? Can your friends? Can your parents serve? There is a big variety of ways you can serve    The only thing you need to bring with you is love.  The Lord will supply the rest.